Drive for paddle-wheel boats



Oct. 2, 1928.

B. H. KERSTING DRIVE FOR PADDLE WHEEL BOATS Filed Nov. 13. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTQR BM WW B M Oct. 2, 1928.

B. H- KERSTING DRIVE FOR PADDLE WHEEL BOATS Filed Nov. 13. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR Oct. 2, 1928.

B. H. KERSTING DRIVE FOR PADDLE WHEEL BOATS- 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 13. 1926 Y INVENTOR W R. w q M 1 n l I a H HHMI HI HM H l U l h u j Ill! Oct, 2, 1928.

. 1,686,013 B. H. KERSTING DRIVE FOR PADDLE WHEEL BOATS Filed Nov. 13. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR l e tented Get. 2, 1929:.

UNITED stares was p Fr es.

BERNARD n. KERS'IING, or ran Avon, rnnnsrnvamanssrenon TO nnavo coir- TRACTING COMPANY, or rrrcrsnuzas'n; PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

DRIWLE FOR PADDLE-WHEEL BOATS. 5' V Applicationfiled November 13, 1926. SerialNo. 145,222.

This invention relates to a drive for paddle wheel boats and provides an improved gear connection between the power source and the paddle wheel which has been found in actual practice to be very desirable.

Various drives for paddle wheels have been proposed, but most of these have been of such nature that the prime movers had to be placed adjacent the paddle wheels. In small river craft the stern paddle drive is common, and this meant that the engines had to be placed well astern in the boat.

.For various reasons it is desirable to have the prime movers forward, particularly if internal combustion engines are employed. 7

" I-thereforeprovide a drive shaft extending longitudinally of the boat, a paddle wheel shaft, an intermediate shaftsubstantially parallel to the paddle wheelshaft, spur gear- 7 ing connected to the intermediate shaft with connecting the intermediate shaft with the drive shaft. Preferably, the spur gearing and the bevel gearing are so mounted on the boat frame that there is no opportunity for the gears .to get out of alignment and thus decrease the efficiency of operation. This condition is best worked out by providing a housing in which the intermediate shaft and thedrive shaft are journaled, the housing being securely .mounted in the boat frame in fixed'relation to the paddle wheel shaft. The housing is so formed that the gears may be readily assembled, and it also constitutes an oil reservoir. This permits'of the mechanism running for months at a time without attention. Preferably the housing is placed inside the boat bufler so that the inside mechanism is protected from injury. The bufier isprovided with a removable portion'for ready access to the housing.

i For driving stern paddle wheels, I provide a shaft which extends longitudinally of the, boat .but diverges. from the boat axis so that the rear end'of the shaft lies to one side of the boat: The rear. end of the shaft is' vof my invention as applied'to a stern paddle wheel boat,

Figure 1 is a top plan view partlybroken away of a boat having my invention applied thereto;

Figure2 scale, .and partly broken gear housing; V Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken o the line IIIIII of Figure'2; Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on the line IVTV of Figure 2;

Figure is a side elevation of the gear housing with the cover removed;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing a modified structure; and 7 Figure 7 18 a section taken on the line VIIVII of Figure 6. I

Referring first to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to" 5 inclu-' the paddle. wheel shaft,and bevel gearing sive, there is shown a boat having a hull, indicated generally by the reference character 2, and provided with a two part stern paddle wheel 3. Each half of the paddle wheel is mounted on an individual shaft 4t. The inner ends of these shafts are carried in a central bearing 5 secured to a central boat is a side elevation to an enlarged away, show ng the girder 6. Their outer ends are carriedfiin bearings 7 secured to longitudinal boat girders 8 which are preferably oflthe box type. Each section of the paddle wheel isdriv-' en from a separate internal combustion engine 9 locatedforwardly in the boat, andconnected through a suitable 'clutch 10 to a longitudinally extending a drive shaft '11.

This shaft is carried in bearings 12 and is provided with flexible couplings The drive shaft terminates in an enlarged' portion 1 1 which is mounted on roller bearings ,15 and 16. The bearing 15 iscarriedin. a

housing member 17, a'nd:the' bearing 16 is carried in a cap 18 secured to the housing with grease and a packingQO are provided around the shaft to prevent egress of lubricant or ingress of water. The housingmember 17 lies outside the hull of -the boat andv it is therefore necessary that the rear end of Y the shaft 11 PIOJGCtoutside the 'hull., -This member 17. Grooves 19 adapted to 'befilled gears.

v8 is preferably of. the box'type, comprising spaced apart vertical plate members 27 and 28. These plates carry the housing for the I The .housing member 17 accommodates the bevel pinion 22 and its gear 23. It

- also forms a cover, for amain housing 29.

The housing 29 makes a close fit at 30 and .31 with plates 32' and 33 permanently secured to the girder plates 27 and 28, respectively. In assembling the boat drive, the plates 32 and 33 are riveted to the girder plates 27 and 28 and are then machined so as to accommodate the housing 29. The 'housingis then secured in place by rivets 34, which pass through the girder plate- 28, the reinforcing plate 33 and the housing proper. Y V

The shaft 24 is carried in roller bearings 35 whose stationary races are mounted in caps 36 and '37 secured respectively to the housing member 17 and the main housing 1-29.- These caps are machlned to make a close fit with the housing members which carry them.

' It will be noted that the roller bearings 16 and 35 are all of the well known Tinikentype, employing tapered rollers. Shims 38 are provided under each of the caps 18, 36 and 37, whereby these bearingsmay be adjusted. After the bearing wears, a. thinner shim may be substituted under the suitable cap, so that this cap, when tightened back 7 I into place, will be effective for taking up the Wear. It will be noted from Figure 3 that the piniou 22 is mounted between bearings. This arrangement is particularly desirable because it insures that the bevel gears will mesh properly, even though the boat hull should become. twisted, thus tending to mis align the shaft. 7 r The shaft 24 is hollow, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, andthe caps 36 and 37 are each provided with openings substantiallyco-axial with the bore of the shaft 24. These "openings, are ordinarily closed by pipe plugs 39,;bu't if the plugs are removed a clear sightmay' be had throughthe housing and theshaft. This arrangement isfound to be Yery desirable in lining up the various parts, not only on initial assembly of the boat, but also" at times when 'Even in boats of re atively small size, the shaft 24 'is quite heavy. It is, of" course, necessary to remove the housing member17 in order that the shaft may be put into repairs are made.

place, and until the housing member-17 is replaced, the shaft wouldordinarily be very difiicult to handle. Iprovide a pair of lugs .40 whicharegintegral with the main housing 29, and project to a point adjacent the will lubricant escape.

path described'between the tips of the teeth in the pinion 25. By this arrangement, the end of the shaft24 which lies. closer to the center of the boat may be fitted into its bearing and the shaft allowed to rest upon enclose the gear 26. I employ the interior of the box girder 8 as a connecting reservolr for a lubricant. The plates 27 and 28' are connected bya cross plate 41 which. serves not only as a stiffener, but also as an end wall for the reservoir formed within the box girder 8. The reservoir is connected to the interior of the housing 29 through an 'opening 42, and also through an opening-43.

This latter opening extends far enough ar ound the housingfto accommodatethe gear chain line. a

to the left of the crossplate 4-1, as viewed 26. This is best shown in Figure 5 where the pitch line of the gear 26 is shown as a' in the drawings, is filled withlubricant, and' z the enclosure of the g'ear drive is completed by a cover 44 which surrounds the upper part of the gear 26. With this construction no watercan enterthe gear chambers, nor

large lubricant capacity, the apparatusmay be operated for months or years without attention. a

The boat buffer 45 liesout-side the gear By reason of the":-

Joe!

housings and is intended to protect thejsame.

The buffer prevents the housings from'being broken or the shafts from being Jbent' or ,mi'saligned. It is made with a removable portion 46 secured in place by bolts=47. If

it is desired to work-on the gear drive, the

bolts 47 may be removed and the buffer portion 46 is taken out. This permits of readily disassembling the entire gear drive.

Figures 6 and 7 show a slightly modified structure." The drive :mechanism remains the box girder 8 a channel '50 extending from a bracket 51 secured to the boat body 52 and terminating the same, but special braces are provided for 1 7 These braces constitute at its lower end between the plates 27 and 28 ofthe box girder 8 As shown in Fig ure 7,. the channel is of such-width that it fits nicely between the plates 27 a and 28 and is secured thereto byrivets 53.; 'Preferably the channel 50 terminates in the box girder just above the housing 29 so as to transmit strains therefrom back tothe, boat frame.) r

Figure 6 also shows a strut 54 formed of two angles placed back to back. These angles are riveted to a plate 55 whose lower edge is riveted to one flange of the girder 50. The lower edge of the strut 54 engages the bearing 7 a and not only prevents shifting thereof, but also transmits its load in part back to the boat body 52.-

I have illustrated and described a preferred form of invention as applied to a stern wheel paddle boat, but it will be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A drive for paddle wheel boats, comprising a boxlike boat girder, a drive shaft extending longitudinally of the boat, a paddle wheel shaft extending. crosswise of the boat, an intermediate shaft extending crosswise of the. boat, gearing connecting the intermediate shaft with the paddle wheel shaft, gearing connecting the intermediate shaft with the drive shaft, and a common bearing member secured to the girder and having bearings for the drive shaft and the intermediate shaft.

2. A drive for paddle wheelboats, comprising a boxlike boat girder, a drive shaft extending longitudinally of the boat, a paddle wheel shaft extending crosswise of the boat, an intermediate shaft extending crosswise of the boat, gearing connecting the intermediate shaft with the paddle wheel shaft, gearing connecting the intermediate shaft with the drive shaft, and a substantially enclosed housing for said gearing, the housing providing a bearing support for the drive shaft and the intermediate shaft.

3. A drive for paddle wheel boats, comprising a boat frame, a drive shaft extending longitudinally of the boat, a paddle wheel shaft extending'crosswise of the boat, an intermediate shaft substantially parallel to the paddle wheel shaft, spurgearing connecting the intermediate shaft with the paddle wheel shaft, bevel gearing connecting'the intermediate shaft with the drive shaft, a common metal support secured to the frame and carryin the' driveshaft and the intermediate shaft, and a buffer lying outside the bearing support and adapted to protect the drive mechanism. r

4. A drive for paddle wheel boats, comprising a drive shaft extending longitudinally of the boat, a paddle wheel shaft lying crosswise of'the boat, an intermediate shaft substantially parallel to the paddle Wheel shaft, spur gearing connecting the intervmediate shaft with the paddle wheel shaft,

prising a drive shaft extending longitudinally of the boat, a paddle wheel shaft lying crosswise of the boat, an iiitermediate shaft substantially parallel to the paddle wheel shaft, spur gearing connecting the inter-' mediate shaft with the paddle wheel shaft,

bevel gearing connecting the intermediateshaft with the drive shaft, a housing snbstantially enclosing said gears, and a boat buffer, the buifer having a removable portion lying outside the housing. I e 6. in a paddle wheel boat drive, a paddle second shaft lying substantially parallel thereto and connected to the paddle wheel shaft by gearing, a housing for an inter:

mediate shaft, the housing having a cover" adapted to make a bearing support for one end ofthe intermediate shaft and means for supporting the shaft substantially in its wheel shaft lying'crosswise of the boat, a

proper position when the cover is removed. 1 7. In a paddle wheel boat drive,-paddle wheel shafts lying crosswise of the boat, co-

axial intermediate shafts parallelthereto, the intermediate shafts being hollow to facilitate aligning thereof, and gearing connecting the intermediate shafts with the paddle wheel shafts.

8. In a paddle wheel boat drive, spaced housings and substantially co-axial shafts one within each housing, the shafts being hollow, and the housing being provided with removable closures whereby the openings through the shafts are rendered accessible to facilitate aligning of the shafts.

9. A paddle wheel boat drive comprising a hollow boat girder, a gear housing connected to the girder and having its interior communicating with the interior of the girder, and drive gearing lying in the housing and in the girder, the housing and the,

girder forming a reservoir forlubricant.

- In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand. I

' BERNARDH. KERSTING. 

